2004 Prospects: Q&A with Justin Peters

By Patrick King

March 5th, 2004

Patrick King

style=’tab-interval:.5in’>

Justin Peters is one of the top goaltenderseligible for the 2004 draft, sitting fourth among North American goaltenders in CentralScouting Service’s mid-term rankings, and sixth amongst all goaltenders in International Scouting Services’ March report. Peters is in his second season with theToronto St. Michael’s Majors, this year as a starter. Last year, as a rookie,he backed up veteran goaltender AndyChiodo, who is now playing for the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Peters hashad a successful year starting for the Majors, he has helped lead the team backto the top after a slow start. The Majors are now five points behind theMississauga Ice Dogs for the Eastern Conference lead and have a game againstthe Ice Dogs on March 7th.

He has theeighth best goals against average in the OHL right now with only fourgoaltenders ahead of him who are starters for their respective teams. His savepercentage is .911, which ranks him 11th. Peters is fourth in theleague in wins with 26 and tied for sixth in shutouts with three.

The nativeof Blyth, Ontario covers a lot of the net at 6’1” and 208 lbs and is nearlyimpossible to beat along the ice. Peters is a big reason for the Majors’success this season as they have already clinched a playoff spot with six gamesremaining in their schedule. Hockey’s Future spoke with the top prospect fromthe Majors earlier this week.

HF: How long have you been agoaltender?

JP: I’vebeen a goalie since atom, so about eight years.

HF: What are your strengths andweaknesses?

JP: I thinkI’m a big goalie with good size and have the ability to hopefully make the bigsave when my team needs it. I like to play the puck to help my D out and givemy D an advantage against forecheckers.

HF: What aspect of your game do youfeel you need to work most on?

JP: I thinkI can work on my technical aspects of my game; I’m always looking to improve onthat. I hadn’t learned too much on the technical aspect until I came to theOHL. I worked with my goalie coach Jon Elkin and we’ve worked a lot over thelast year. Hopefully I can keep on improving on that.

HF: What kind of goaltender wouldyou describe yourself as?

JP: Youcould say I’m a butterfly goalie but I don’t have a certain style I like tostick by, I just do anything to stop the puck. I don’t have a certain way Iwant to react to every puck, I just want to stop the puck and do my job.

HF: Who’s your favorite goaltender?

JP: Myfavorite goalie was Patrick Roy growing up because everybody thought he wasdone and he came back and showed everybody in Colorado he could do it. Now I’dhave to say my favorite goalie is Martin Brodeur. I like the way he can playthe puck and because of the Stanley Cups and he has so many wins over theyears. I have a lot of respect for him.

HF: Have you modeled yourself aroundeither goalie?

JP: Yeahyou can say I play like Martin Brodeur because I like to play the puck and alsolike Patrick Roy because he’s a butterfly goalie. I just try to do whatever tostop the puck; I don’t have a certain style. I like to use the butterfly andboth those goalies like to use the butterfly too.

HF: Are you superstitious?

JP: Notreally. I have a few little routines like putting my equipment on but it’snothing. I mean if things go wrong it’s not a big deal. I just stay loosebefore the game. I don’t have any certain little superstitions; I just go tothe rink and play.

HF: How do you prepare before agame?

JP: I liketo eat my pregame meal a few hours before I get picked up. Have a sleep beforemy ride comes to pick me up to go to the rink. At the rink we play soccer andtry to keep the ball up. Stay loose; I don’t like to be tight and tense. I liketo get my mind ready and go from there.

HF: What do you do in your sparetime?

JP: Latelyit’s just been rest. Being here in Toronto after practice or what not I hangout with my buddies on the hockey team by going to the mall, watching a movie,just hang out really.

HF: What was it like to take overfor Andy Chiodo this year?

JP: It wasa great honor last year backing him up and I learned a lot. It just goes toshow with him this year being up in Pittsburgh that if you keep working hardgood things happen to good people. I had a lot of fun last year and I felt thatthis year I could come in and get the job done and hopefully I can keep going.

HF: What did you learn from playingbehind Chiodo last year?

JP: Ilearned not only on the ice but off the ice just to work hard and keep a goodmindset that you have your ups and downs during the year. It’s not going to besmooth sailing the whole way and you just have to battle through the down time.It seems like the best goalies are the ones that can handle all the situations.

HF: Last year you got to start Game5 of the Eastern Conference Finals against theOttawa67’s, do you thinkthat that experience will help you with this years playoffs?

JP: Yeah itwas an unbelievable experience for me. It’s too bad Andy got hurt but I had tograb the bull by the horns. I really feel it will help me this year having agame under my belt. The atmosphere in playoffs is just an atmosphere by itself.People tell you about it but you can’t say anything about it until you’veexperienced it. I really feel it will help me a lot this year just to know whatto expect.

HF: You were a starter in the 2004CHL Top Prospects Game, can you describe what itfelt like to start and play in a game of that magnitude?

JP: It wasa great honor first of all to be invited to the game. We actually just flippeda coin before the game to see who would get the start. There wasn’t a setgoalie as the starter. It was a great honor and a great experience. I enjoyedthe whole week. It was a great experience and I wouldn’t pass it up foranything. It was good to get out and meet some other top prospects and it was alot of fun.

HF: Was it harder to be a goaltenderin a game as offensive as the prospects game?

JP:The thing is about the Top Prospects Game isthat it’s different than an All-Star game because the defense is playingdefense too, it’s not all about going out and scoring. We wanted to play as ateam. We got to bond a bit before for the first three days so we knew what toexpect from each player and everybody knew their role. I wouldn’t say it’s likean All-Star game because we wanted to win and it was really competitive becauseyou’re trying to show your stuff to the scouts. I think it was a lot moredefensive than an All-Star game.

HF: Was there any more pressureknowing that there were several scouts watching thegame?

JP: Thisyear being the draft year for me, you’re going to have that all the time. Ijust gotta play on the ice and let my play dictate what’s going to happen.Being in the Top Prospects Game you obviously know they’re going to be there.It’s your play that’s going to dictate it and all I can do is just do my part.

HF: How do you feel you played inthe game?

JP: When Icame out I was pretty nervous and pretty tight. I’d like to have the first goalback but after that I relaxed and felt pretty good about myself. I thought Iheld my own.

HF: Have you given much thought tothe draft?

JP:Obviously it’s in the back of your mind but like I said before I’m just tryingto play hockey and let it happen. I can just do my part by playing on the iceand letting the rest happen.

HF: Will you be attending the draft?

JP: We’llhave to see where it all comes down to where the rankings are. I’d like toattend it; I’m sure it would be a great experience to get drafted or not justto be there. We’ll have to see what happens.

HF: Where do you see yourself infive years?

JP: I’dlike to see myself playing in the NHL. I know it’s everybody’s dream and it’s agoal I have. Hopefully I can pursue it. I’ll just work hard and go to the rinkevery day with the same attitude and hope for the best.

HF: And finally, who’s the bestshooter in the OHL?

JP: I’dhave to say Patrick O’Sullivan fromthe Mississauga Ice Dogs. He’s the best pure goal scorer. He’s a threatwhenever he’s on the ice. We play him this Friday and hopefully we can get somerevenge for the 5-2 loss last time.

HF: Has any player in the OHL hadyour number?

JP: I don’tknow if any player in particular has had my number. I know there have been somegames where we have been blown out by teams or what not but I don’t know thatthere is any certain player who has had my number.